Keeping Strong
by Lalita Romane
Summary: At a job like Six's there is alot of pressure. But he knows how to deal with it. Right?  Sex- as in Six/Rex


Keeping Strong.

Warning: This is a Yaoi, this means that there are male/male pairings

Specifically, there is Six/Rex- or as i fondly prefer to refer to it as, SeX

An:

I was actually trying to write a humor noex fic. this is what happened. i like how it turned out, but the question is, do you?

_**Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking**_

_**When you fall everyone stands**_

_**Another day and you've had your fill of sinking**_

_**With the life held in your**_

_**Hands are shaking cold**_

_**These hands are meant to hold**_

R3%

Rex looked over to where Six was rubbing the oil onto his katanas. He had his special rag, and was mostly busy trying to get the blood out of the hinge on the blades. The blood made it hard to flick open, and Six had always told him that a moment's hesitation could be fatal. Luckily, though, Six's distraction gave Rex the rare chance to watch him without worrying about Six watching him back. You could never tell with those glasses on.

Rex watched Six's hands as they went along with heir task. It was with a shock he noticed those long, beautiful hands, always so sure when holding the blade, shook slightly as they tried to remove the blood. Rex, not quite believing his eyes, looked quickly up to Six's face. It was just as impassive as ever. Rex frowned and looked back down at where Six was still scrubbing out the blood. His hands were definitely shaking. Rex sucked in a breath, and wondered what Six could possibly be thinking.

$!%

Six was not stupid, and he hadn't gotten to the point he had by not noticing things. Six knew Rex was staring at him. Usually, he got, not so much irritated, but annoyed with the teen's unsettling stares. Nevertheless, today he just couldn't bring himself to care. He had not managed to save that girl today. Rex didn't even know, and if Six had a say, would never know. Rex was only used for the largest and most dangerous Evos. That didn't mean that there weren't smaller, but equally deadly ones to be dealt with. He was cleaning the blood of a murderer from his blades today, but that did not mean that the child was anymore alive. Six didn't take failure well, especially when it ended in innocent blood spilled.

It was days like today that made him wonder why he had gotten involved with Providence. He could have a family somewhere. He could have a wife, 2.5 kids, a white picket fence, and maybe a cat. It was possible; he knew he was not unattractive. However, something about that picture had never sat well with him. There was always a feeling of something just being, well, off. It was as if some part of him knew that that was not a possibility for him. Sure, he _could_ have those things, but he would not be suited for it. There would always be something wrong, and he would not fit into that mold. He would die early, or well, earlier than he already would, from sheer misery.

Still, he could not help it, because it would always come back to this. The innocents. If he were not here, there would be even more innocent casualties than there already were. And where would the justice in that be? H e got a 'normal' life, but at the cost of so many lives. Really, Six needed to protect others more than he needed air. Not that he would ever admit it, but he was just a good Samaritan by nature. Even without the Providence training, he would have tried to save that little girl, and countless others like her, and he would have died in the process. It was a simple fact.

He was meant to do what he was meant to do. Nothing he could do about it, and he would do it no matter what. It was his fate, and you can't fight fate. It didn't mean you had to like it though. Six did fail sometimes. It was the times he failed that made him so careful, so it would not happen again. He would follow orders to the tee, because then nothing would go wrong. He was precise, efficient, and merciless. The perfect Providence agent. Too bad that it made his life a living hell sometimes.

Six finally finished fishing the last flake of blood from his blade. He flicked it back together, and stood to leave Rex's room. It was time for bed, and he was sure to have the nightmares tonight.

R3%

Rex only watched as Six deliberately started to put the maintenance equipment back in its case. He didn't say anything as Six stood, and without a word began to walk out. However, when Six's hand touched the doorknob to leave, Rex couldn't stop himself from reaching out for those hands. They haunted his dreams, and suddenly he didn't want Six to go. His fingers had barely brushed the palm of Six's hand before Six had pulled it out of his grasp. Six slowly turned and those sunglasses were staring at him, hiding any trace of Six's emotions. That is if he had any. Rex bit his lip, and finally he couldn't take Six's blank stare anymore. He managed to mumble, "You can tell me ya know, what's bothering you. I won't tell anyone." His eyes slid to the floor, he knew that he sounded kind of weird, but honestly, he couldn't think of anything else to say. Well, actually, he knew what he wanted to say, but honestly, he wasn't in the mood to be decapitated tonight.

"No."

Rex looked up startled. But Six had already walked out, and he was alone. He curled his fingers into his palm, they tingles slightly where they had brushed Six's hand.

It wasn't right it wasn't fair. Why should Six have to put up with something that was so bad that even he, Six, the ice king himself, was shaken up. His hand clenched, and blood began to ooze from tiny cuts in his palm. Six shouldn't have to put up with that by himself. No one should, so why wouldn't Six tell him? Why? Did Six think that he couldn't be trusted? Maybe Six just genuinely didn't like him. Rex felt his heart twinge at that possibility. He had already been informed that these nightly hours together were purely preventive measures against him skipping out. Rex never tried when Six was around, half because he dint want to die this young. There was also the fact that the other half of him didn't have the desire to go anywhere when he was around Six.

Whatever it was, it all came out to the same. Six was suffering, and he wouldn't tell Rex about it. Not that this really surprised Rex, Six didn't… feel for Rex the way Rex felt for him. That didn't stop it from hurting though.

$!%

_**So a day when you've lost yourself completely**_

_**Could be a night when your life ends**_

_**Such a heart that will lead you to deceiving**_

_**All the pain held in your**_

_**Hands are shaking cold**_

_**Your hands are mine to hold**_

Six's feet echoed in the barren hallways of Providence. He was in the middle of a battle with himself; he knew it was cruel to Rex, what he had done. But under no circumstances could Rex know the dirtier bits of Six. The parts that were not as pristine as what he showed the world. Six would never be able to bring himself to wreck that idea that he was invincible, and could protect Rex when shit hit the fan. He was skilled, but he was not invincible. And he couldn't save everyone. His eyes started to burn, and he began to walk faster, in a race to his room against something no one would ever see. If only he could get to his room fast enough. He was close. He was just so close.

Suddenly, a white coat materialized from nowhere. It brought along with it the prettiest scientist in Providence, Dr. Holiday.

H () / ! d -

Holiday was scrutinizing the clipboard in her hand, so the Agent went unnoticed, and she passed him without a thought. Six started to walk more quickly; he could see his room at the end of the hall. The sound and movement caught her attention, and Holiday turned to see the quickly disappearing Six. She glanced down at her clipboard, and back up at his retreating figure.

It was then that she made the decision that set everything in motion. She tucked her clipboard to her side and hurried down the hall in the opposite direction.

$!%

"Six!"

The word echoed down the hallway like a gunshot. Six winced, but turned his head towards the doctor who had worked with him for so long. Since Rex had gotten here actually. It had been so long ago, that by now it seemed as if Rex had always been there. At nineteen, Rex was no longer the innocent little kid he had been when he had first come to base. Six forced those thoughts from his mind. He knew all of the paths that that line of thinking could take him, and none of them would be acceptable in the middle of a hallway.

He blinked, and he once again saw the blood and gore behind his eyes. He remembered why he was so urgent to reach his room. How had he forgotten? His eyes began to tingle again, and really, he hadn't noticed them stop in the first place. He was now in double the hurry that he was in before, but the persistent problem of the pretty little doctor coming towards him was not going to go away anytime soon. Just a feeling he had. It didn't help that today The Universe wanted to play Russian Roulette with his fate. Guess who was winning.

Six turned and did his best to fight the stinging in his eyes, and still keep a straight face.  
"Hello" His voice was flat and emotionless. At least that way no one would say hat he was weak.

He watched as Holiday's throat bobbed, and she forced a smile. Six could se the nervousness in her eyes as she looked at him. Why was she nervous? They had spoken regularly for years, and he would almost- would almost count her as a friend. So why in the world was she so frightened? He felt a little piece in his chest begin to slip, and he swallowed. This was going to have to get over fast.

H () / ! d -

Holiday approached the dark aura that surrounded Six. She wondered if he even realized he was sending it out. He looked so much like he normally did. Crisp green and white suit. His tie was impeccable. He held the kit that she knew held his sword care supplies. There was really nothing out of place about him, except for the thick, dark aura that spread out from his body. It reverberated with every breath he took, and holiday could feel it pressing, pressing the air from her lungs. Oh goodness, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe!

She jerked back, and blinked rapidly at Six, who was still staring blankly at her, seemingly unperturbed by her small episode. There was no choking aura now; it was just Six standing in the hallway, looking at her and waiting for her to speak. Holiday shook her head, and feeling a bit silly, she smiled. "Hi, I was just wondering, have you dealt with the threat in area 42? I heard you were sent out alone since it was just a minor, no casualties assignment."

She watched as Six stood silently for three beats of silence. "The Evo has been exterminated, but just for your records, there was a casualty." Six looked as if something sticky were in his throat "There was a thirteen or fourteen year old girl. Red hair, and possibly blue eyes. The Evo got to her before I got to him." Six quickly turned and began to walk evenly, if quickly, down the hallway. Holiday still saw the tear as it tracked its way down his cheek.

R3%

Rex stared blankly at the door Six had escaped from. He could feel the doubt in his heart, eating a hole of pain in his chest. He tried, he really did, but eventually he realized he cold not stop himself from standing up and hurrying out of the door. He had only made it a few feet from his room, when he turned a corner and crashed into Dr. Holiday.

The clipboard she had been carrying hit the opposite wall with a crack. Suddenly the hall was in the middle of a mini snowstorm as the clip that held all of the papers together broke. Rex bent, and quickly snatched up the papers; shoving them at Holiday, Rex turned to start running again. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his arm. Rex stopped and looked back at Holiday.

Her voice was hesitant, but strong. "I think he went to his room." Rex nodded his thanks. He turned to run again, and Holiday once again grabbed his arm. Rex looked impatiently at her. "Rex, I think… I think he was crying."

_**Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong**_

_**Move along, move along like I know you do**_

_**And even when your hope is gone**_

_**Move along, move along just to make it through**_

_**Move along**_

$!%

Six made it to his room without any one else seeing him. He couldn't stop the tears from coming, but he would still retain his dignity. He sank against the wall in his Spartan, standard issue room. He let his head dip, and the tears started to really flow. Six was silent, but he could not stop them. What was the point?

Suddenly, his door slammed open. His reflexes, slowed with weariness, failed him. He had barely moved at all when suddenly, someone was pushing themselves into his arms. He smelled oranges, and felt a face burying itself into the hollow feeling of his chest. He looked down wonderingly at the top of Rex's head.

Suddenly, the tears began to fall faster, and Six pulled the boy closer. Rex fit so perfectly, even at this awkward angle, and with his body pressed against Six's the hollow feeling that always played in Six's chest slowly began to fill. It wasn't anywhere near full, but the chasm was less gaping.

He cradled the teen to him, and began to tell his story.


End file.
